Relieve Itchy Bug Bites with These Home Remedies

Now that we’ve discussed everything from bacne to makeup meltdowns, it’s time to deal with the one summer skin problem we can all relate to: bug bites.

While bug sprays can help keep insects at bay, they don’t guarantee around-the-clock protection, which means one of those pesky predators are bound to get you sooner or later. So what do you do when the itchiness is driving you crazy? Avoid scratching if you can, as this can increase redness, swelling, and chance of an infection, and turn to one of Anne-Marie Faiola’s, founder of Handmade Beauty Box, natural home remedies instead.

Faiola's DIY recipes (below) call for skin-soothing ingredients, like tea tree oil, witch hazel, and aloe vera—all proven to take the itch and inflammation out of bug bites and stings (and are far more effective than the marking an “X” with your fingernail technique).